I keep saying to myself -- (since I am the best listener to my own 'wisdom') -- 'mass media' is a euphemism. All 'mass media' that exists in the world is actually a 'propaganda' system firmly embedded in what is called the 'political' system.
(The 'political' system is, of course, a purely 'abstract' and purely colonial-imperial domain, preying upon all human communities/cultures and their autonomy, and manipulating-abusing-perverting culturally derived moral norms.
Both these functions can be subsumed in the rubric of 'ethnocide' whose best academic explainers I know are Pierre Clastres and Robert Jaulin.
All 'mass media' is 100% per cent subservient to this colonial-imperial domain, working "to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind," as Orwell would have put it. Note, by the way, that here 'abstract' = 'pure wind'.
The 'progressive' view of 'political system' as an instrument for 'changing' or 'building''society' is, of course, the purest form of piffle you'll ever find.)
On 23 Jan. 2019, an apparently smart guy (@OkieTataBye) caught red-handed -- in fact, mic-handed -- an Aaj Tak reporter Mausami Singh (@mausamii2u) manufacturing 'news' in Allahabad, outside 'Anand Bhavan' to be precise.
@OkieTataBye not only caught her engaging in this fraud in broad daylight, but smartly made a few videos and posted them on Twitter. (It's a thread.)
These videos show how Mausami Singh (@mausamii2u) is producing-directing a drama of a political party's 'supporters' with the help of only about 15 people on a public road.
(It reminds me of a few 'demonstrations' -- staged -- that I was sent to cover as a reporter for PTI in the initial days of my 'employment'. More about that later.
I am sure all 'journalists' with substantial experience of 'employment' would be able to tell their own experiences of how 'news' are manufactured by the organizations they work for.)
This charlatan is the same Aaj Tak 'journalist' who was caught screaming like crazy in her attempt to block off a Republic TV reporter from taking part in a press conference with Mani Shankar Aiyar in December 2017. A supposedly 'less partisan' account of that press conference along with a video featuring this fraud reporter can be found in this News Laundry report.
What's more, this fraudster actually acknowledges @OkieTataBye's expose and brazens it out with a silly tweetin which she seems to be actually underlining her role as an agent.
(But then why is 'agent' a dirty word? Aren't all 'employees''agents' of their 'principals', i.e. 'employers'? As an 'employee' you are paid to do what your 'employer' wants you to do.
In the dystopian 'world' of today, you can't be anything but an 'agent' of some 'principal'.
Haven't you heard for the umpteenth time the sellers of snake oil who call themselves 'economists' -- and their accomplices in the 'mass media' of course -- asserting that what 'we' really need is 'employment' for millions of youth entering the 'job market'?
Now take a look at your young son or daughter and think that he/she is born to be in somebody's 'employment' -- and be very proud!)
-----------